Baker Mayfield's time as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback reached its end in March, when the franchise landed embattled signal-caller Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster trade-and-sign with the Houston Texans. In a matter of weeks or months, the former first-overall pick will get the boot. But where Mayfield plays in 2022 is undetermined, as his market has been cut down to just a handful of teams with the NFL Draft less than two weeks away.
According to a recent report from Cleveland.com, the Carolina Panthers have "the inside track" to acquire Mayfield, and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has also mentioned them as the "most likely spot" for the fourth-year starter. The rumors haven't satisfied Panthers receiver Robby Anderson -- last week, he expressed disinterest in Mayfield, via social media. Carolina's quarterback situation is messy, as they missed out on the Watson sweepstakes.
"I understand that he's faced a lot of criticism, but he didn't play that bad. He didn't have that horrible of a year for him to now be hoping to be on a roster," CBS Sports HQ analyst Bryant McFadden told the Reiter Than You show on Monday. "That's surprising for me. Two, it seems like Baker might not be a liked guy throughout the NFL. With Robby saying what he said and the way that he said it, it wasn't just about the production or concern of production.
"It just might be that Baker Mayfield isn't a liked guy. Because one thing about liked individuals is, even if they're production isn't meeting the standard, you don't mind being around those guys. You want to be around guys who're liked and who're high-energy people. It seems like Baker might not be liked by his peers in the NFL. That might be one of the biggest moves from Robby, saying what he said on social media."
Mayfield's 2021 campaign was a headache. For three-plus months, he played with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, and he underwent successful surgery to repair the injury in mid-January. Because of nagging problems with his shoulder, knee, and foot, the 27-year-old threw for just 3,010 yards with 17 touchdowns, 13 picks, and a career-low 35.1 QBR across 14 games. Cleveland finished the season with an 8-9 record, and missed the AFC playoffs.
Last spring, the Browns exercised the fifth-year option on Mayfield and he's set to make $18.8 million in 2022. Despite the injury concerns and mediocre performances, Spotrac lists his current market value at $159.4 million across five years. With an average annual value (AAV) of $31 million, Mayfield would become the league's 10th-highest paid player and quarterback. But, there's virtually no chance that he'll receive this type of contract anytime soon.
The entire NFL conversation between McFadden and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.